The Real curse is Remembering
by The Last Girafficorn
Summary: The real curse really was remembering. 'Turns out that Piper's sweet, sweet memories of love at wilderness school all really happened. Just not with golden boy. All the love- was as real as the gods who walked the earth. Only that love was Leo's. But he's the only one who remembers it. One-shot Past Liper. Sad'n'fluffy. Implied future Caleo or Leyna. You Pick.


**The curse of remembering. **

The worst day of Leo's life was the day he remembered, the day that all the lost time from wilderness school came back to him along with a new type of pain.

See, Leo had always just assumed that his memories of wilderness school were all bullshit, with an occasional grain of realness thrown in, ('cos let's face it - Hera wouldn't care enough to make it all up herself.)

'Turns out that Piper's sweet, sweet memories of rooftop kisses and surprise presents, running jokes and first love all really happened.

Just not with golden boy.

All The friendship, all the running gags, all the meteors on the roof - All the love- was as real as the gods who walked the earth.

Only that love was Leo's.

Instead of remembering sitting on the side-lines, desperate to latch and join the dance Leo remembered being very much a part of the world. He remembered loving and being loved right back by a wild unpredictable girl, a girl with a smile like the sunshine and kisses like the fire he knew all too well. With eyes like kaleidoscopes, but shone like stars. A girl who was a little wacked up but hell so was Leo, and she knew he was and loved him for it. A girl named Piper McLean.

Each and every memory he had with her he had been plucked out of and stuck haphazardly onto the side-lines while the almighty lightning man took everything Leo had worked so hard for. Jason didn't stay up until three in the morning, slaving away at that charm bracelet, with charms to show all their best moments. Hell, Jason doesn't know what they even fucking mean, never mind how sick he might have (but he didn't because Leo did) felt before he gave it to her. That day had to have been the clearest memory of all...after all, it was the best...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"'Happy Birthday, Beauty Queen' said Leo, grinning as he laid the small parcel onto Pipers lap. Stay cool bro, he thought, only asking out the crazy-beautiful-badass girl of his dreams. No pressure.

"Ugh, bite me elf boy... God Valdez, this is gorgeous...are these...?"

The vomity feeling got worse as Leo forced a smile as she ran her finger over the charms, recognition sparking in her eyes. A pair of scissors from when she cut off Miffy Middleton's pony tail. A megaphone for at least 10 of Leo's Coach Hedge related pranks. A bow tie from when the school had a dance and formal wear was required. Naturally piper looked very dashing in a suit, and Leo was fabulous in his little black dress. It got even better when Shakira started playing.

"Yup. I figured the most precious thing I have is my memories with you, so I might as well give those. Not including my great looks and incredible talent of course. Plus modesty."

Piper smirked back.

"I can see that, oh stupid, modest one, but what's the last one for? We've never seen a..."

"Meteor shower? Not yet...would you like to?"

"Come again?"

"Would you, Piper Lyra McLean do me the honour of letting me escort you to see the meteor shower on the roof tonight? I would have got you flowers but we're in a desert and shit."

"You mean like a date?"

FUCKIS THAT A GOOD OR A BAD THING SHITSHITSHIRSHIT.

"...Yeeees...?"

"Thank god, I was scared you would never find the balls to ask."

"...So is that a maybe...?"

Just then the bell for gym ran, and in one fluid movement Piper slid on the bracelet and picked up her bag.

"It's a yes, stupid"

And with that she left, pausing only to call over her shoulder, "pick me up at 8.'

Leo could only watch and grin like an idiot as she walked away.

She was a girl and a half was Piper McLean.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Leo watched Jason and Piper snuggle in the Argo II's rec room. His wild, dangerous girl was much calmer with golden boy and he wasn't sure he liked it.

He should tell her, he thought, win her back...but then Jason kissed her. And she was happy.

...happy...

She wouldn't be if Leo told her. How could she? Being forced to choose between a history she couldn't remember and a history that never happened? Each love was as real as the other, but gods know Leo couldn't compete.

Far better for her to be happy with Jason than miserable with him- besides he knew the curse of loneliness better than any other, and it was something he couldn't inflict upon anyone, not even an enemy and especially not his best friend . Jason didn't know, so why should he blame the guy who was really Leos best friend.

Fuck. Well that's depressing.

True.

But depressing.

After an hour or so Piper fell asleep, and Jason left to talk to Annabeth, leaving Piper sleeping on the couch. ( That asshat.) So Leo hoisted Piper up, holding her bridal style and carried her to her room.

"'Night, my beautiful, dangerous girl"

He placed her on her bed and thought how peaceful she looked, in the most un-stalker-like way. She wasn't dangerous anymore. Or his. No, gone was pranking, broken, wild and proud Leo's Piper, instead was the practical Piper, Jason's Piper, trying her best not to let her cracks show. And maybe that was good. (But Leo couldn't agree, after all cracks and brokenness made her beautiful- perfect was boring and not real and real was sexy)

Leo remembered that night, the night she shone brighter than ever before- the rooftop...

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

They sat on a faded red blanket; the one Leo had dragged from place to place. If he focused it still smelt like smoke and oil and his mom, but now it smelt dusty and sweet like Piper too.

"Dance with me."

"On a roof? In the dark? With no music? Sounds dangerous."

"I'm a dangerous girl."

"I never doubted it."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Seriously? The grand canyon? _Now kids instead of staring at rocks in the dessert, you can stare at bigger rocks in a giant pit in the dessert. _Seriously. What bigoted idiot thought it would be a good idea?"

"Come on repair boy. You forgot the upside…"

"What?"

"Hedge fell asleep an hour ago. That gives you another three to make out with your incredibly hot girlfriend in the back of a bus."

"God you're fantastic"

"I know"

Their lips crashing together was the last thing Leo remembered.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Standing on the deck of the Argo II Leo finally understood the fields Aphostel. Forgetting was no curse- in fact it was the greatest blessing. No the real curse was remembering-The fate you couldn't change, the past that would forever remain regretful, the people who you couldn't save and the life you could never live. It was better to cut your losses, forget all the hurt and the pain and betrayal. Loneliness was the worst thing to make a broken thing shatter and alas it hath shattered the mc'schizzle. But then he realised he couldn't be the only one. There had to be some girl who knew loneliness like him, maybe... Leo shook the image of this gloriously nuts girl from his head. Save world first, then find beautiful, somewhat broken mind-fuck of a human being.

He walked up onto the deck and stared up to the stars, making out the constellations, he knew most of the stories, but one stood out- a huntress running across the night sky. He didn't know her story (probably involved Hercules, that guy was the frickin' Herpes of mythology- getting everywhere, pissing people off and costing a bomb in med bills)

Whoever she was, Leo hoped she was happy, and that she forgot the heartbreak and the unhappiness. The stars weren't a bad way to end, Leo decided. He wanted to see them as he left. He hoped the starry huntress had a happy ending. But what hero was ever happy?

No, Leo would just have to wait for the right girl, (maybe Piper, maybe someone else), to have her wall come down, for her to say fuck to all those who helped its cracks to grow with heart break, to be real with him. Then maybe they could rebuild each other... Or to dance hand in hand on the rubble, leave those who broke them with their perfectly perfect lives. No hero had a happy ending...but gods knew Leo wasn't just another hero, and maybe someone would like him for it. And that would save him and the world. We couldn't all be Odysseus or Hercules, Percy Jacksons or Jason Goldenboy Graces, and frankly Leo didn't want to be. Too much pressure to be the hero. Better to just be there in the background. Let the great heroes have their great loves and tragic heroes' deaths.

As for Jason, he could his Piper, so long as Leo could remember his - they weren't the same anymore.

Revenge was petty, thought Leo, especially if over something that wasn't either a prize or the same girl that Leo had fallen in love with. Because Jason wasn't the only totally new person to show up on that bus. Even though she had the same face, that wasn't his girlfriend sat beside him.

Alas this revelation didn't come until Jason was one eyebrow down. Leo thought he might as well make them even, as he singed off the other one.


End file.
